After a year when most of us have been confined to our homes, Earth Day becomes even more special. Nature has provided a welcome source of comfort over the past year, and an escape from our homes that have also become our offices, our study spaces, and our classrooms. The Earth deserves to be celebrated every day, but this Earth Day, spring is in the air and vaccinations are in full swing, so there is no excuse not to explore the outdoors and take in some of the beautiful views that Long Beach has to offer.

Being out in nature is energizing, and something as simple as taking a moment to appreciate a flower can replenish the spirit, something we could all use.

Polin collects on the anther on a flower as the plant are grown in a public space on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
An oil island near the shore in Long Beach. Photo by Crystal Niebla.
Wildflowers at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Two women walk along Bluff Park near the shore in Long Beach. Photo by Crystal Niebla.
A purple flower blooms at a garden on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Pigeons perch on a bridge at the border of Signal Hill. Photo by Crystal Niebla.
Flowers are grown in a public space on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
A pathway at the at the Drake Chavez Greenbelt Park near the 710 Freeway. Photo by Crystal Niebla.
A red rose about to bloom at a garden on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Tracks on the sand at the beach. Photo by Crystal Niebla.
A bee collects pollen from a wildflower at the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
A cactus blooms among the rocks at a garden on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Water droplets form on a yellow rose about to bloom at a garden on Appian Way across from the Colorado Lagoon. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Flowers bloom on a tree at Bixby Park in Alamitos Beach. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
A squirrel sits on a tree branch in Long Beach. Photo by Kate Karp.
Families enjoy the sun at the Shoreline Aquatic Park in Downtown Long Beach. Photo by Brandon Richardson.